Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "News: NAILSS Established; Death of John Huelin" [1982] AboriginalLawB 60; (1982) 1(6) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• News
• Nailss Established
• Death Of John Huelin

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News

NAILSS Established

At a national conference of Aboriginal Legal Services held at the University of New South Wales on 27 and 28 November, a National Secretariat was established. The National Aboriginal and Islander Legal Services Secretariat (NAILSS) was formed under the chairmanship of Paul Coe, chairman of the Redfern ALS. Other executive members appointed at the meeting were Bob Bellear, Phil Cooper, Lyall Munro Jnr., Ray Robinson, Toni Nesbitt and Lyall Munro Stir. The conference was attended by sixty-five delegates from ALSs throughout Australia. There was strong support for the establishment of a secretariat. Discussion centered on the role, composition and accountability of the new body.

The secretariat will conduct research, provide back-up services to ALSs, conduct test cases and co-ordinate the collection of statistics from ALSs. National conferences of ALSs have consistently called for the establishment of a national secretariat (see Report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, Aboriginal Legal Aid, AGPS, 1980, pp.182-3). Establishment of the secretariat is therefore seen as a long over-due move to increase the effectiveness of Australia's eighteen ALSs. If approaches to the Federal Government for funds to finance the secretariat are unsuccessful, submissions will be made to the Australian Council of Churches and other bodies.

Death of John Huelin

Perth lawyer John Huelin died suddenly on 12 August, aged seventy-two. In 1974, with thirty-seven years of legal experience behind him, Mr Huelin became co-ordinator of the Perth office of the ALS. At the same time, Mr John Toohey Q.C. (now Justice Toohey of the Federal Court) left his practice for twelve months to open the ALS office at Port Hedland. Together, the two worked to improve the position of Aborigines in their dealings with the law.

Peter Michelides, lawyer with the Perth ALS, 'commented: `Mr Huelin was deeply concerned about such issues as the high rate of Aboriginal imprisonment and the improvement of Aboriginal-Police relations. He worked with great vigour and devotion for the Service and for Aboriginal people. We will remember him for his compassion, energy and generosity.